GenExit - The Beginning of the End

Chapter 4

After a week of waiting in the county jail for a bed to be available in the work release center, a deputy came over the intercom and told John to pack up.  He was on his way to work release. Upon arriving and getting settled in he was startled by a familiar voice as he starred into the vending machine. "Hey stranger" she'd said and when John turned around he was face to face with his old girlfriend Julie. "What are you doing here, Julie?" John asked, realizing instantly that it was a stupid question. "Working obviously, you look surprised. I was going to school for criminal justice while you were working on going to prison" she said laughingly.
"I appreciate your confidence" John said. He was considering whether or not to apologize to her for the way he'd broken up with her. He'd told her that he wouldn't chase her, that he just replace her, and that's what he did.
He'd brought her replacement into her job at McDonald's and introduced her "Hi Julie, this is your replacement, her name is Caitlin" he'd said and walked out. This isn't going to end well, John thought and figured there was no point in apologizing, he wasn't sorry anyway. Julie had shown the tendency to play games in order to get attention, to keep validating her worth by trying to make John jealous and other games. John had grown tired of it quickly. That's why he'd replaced her. Julie leaned in and whispered "look don't mention to anyone that we were in an intimate relationship. I won't get fired or nothing but they'll make me go work on the female side and I can't stand those bitches, they're worse than any male over here"
She's still starving for attention he thought. John laughed "Your secret is safe with me"
In the dayroom, seated amongst other new arrivals, John listened as the grizzled looking director spoke "Work release isn't much different from prison you just have to account for your comings and goings, and naturally, make it back on time-a lot like being married" the director said cynically, as he passed out rule books that he said would explain the rules and how job searching and passes worked.
John went to his bunk, started settling in and taking inventory of his space and those around him.
John learned from a book called "Nine paths to forgiveness" that there are nine different personality types; not just in jails and institutions but globally.
Among them it seemed that he was the introverted variety preferring to keep to himself and to think in terms of what's possible rather than what is. Neither a leader nor a follower, John just did his own thing, always overthinking, and over analyzing to the point of stagnation at times. Today all he wanted to do was wash the jail off of him and learn about his environment. Julies voice surprised him again as she paged him over the intercom after lunch. "Someone dropped off a care package for you it seems"  she said as she handed him a duffle bag stuffed full of clothes and personal care items. John had no clue who would have dropped off anything for him. His mother had died while he was in prison, then it dawned on him. It was Julie, she must have known he was coming and arranged for the package to be 'dropped off' of course she did. He was suspicious of her intentions, but dismissed the notion. He just had a guilty conscience.